It is clear that immigration does not (for now) pose problems of insecurity in Portugal. Just look at the figures from the Directorate of Reinsertion and Prison Services for 2023 to see that Portuguese prisons contain 83.3% Portuguese and 16.7% foreign inmates.
However, the dichotomy between crime and the perception of insecurity, naturally, does not end with these numbers.
The issue of insecurity regarding immigrants also arises in the eyes of public opinion due to non-compliance with Portuguese rules and values that are not respected by some of these immigrants. Here we are already walking in what is the territory of the perception of insecurity.
If we look at Chinese immigrants living in Portugal, we see that there is not the slightest correction to their behavior with regard to their integration into Portuguese society. They are discreet, respectful of the values of Portuguese society and strictly comply with the rules of our country. And they do so without jeopardizing the original values of their nationality.
The same cannot be said of other nationalities of immigrants in Portugal who import into our country some habits and behaviors that increase chaos in Portuguese society and generate a feeling of insecurity among us. And this is very visible in everyday life.
If I drive in my car with a blown headlight, I have a high chance that, at the first opportunity, the police will stop me, fine me and force me to take the car for an inspection with the fault already fixed. It is an automobile regulation of Portuguese society that must be respected by everyone, whether Portuguese or immigrants. Whoever is here follows Portuguese rules.
How, then, can we look at the countless bicycles belonging to Indian food distributors that circulate in Lisbon without lighting, behind and in front?
How can we accept a systematic violation of traffic rules, by bicycles and motorbikes, also those used to distribute food, that pass red lights, do not respect pedestrian crossings and in some cases even drive in the wrong direction?
How can we admit the attitude of TVDE drivers and others (Indians, Brazilians and other nationalities) who unduly stop vehicles, interrupting traffic and creating chaos in the flow of traffic in large cities? And sometimes they do so, stopping emergency vehicles such as ambulances or fire engines from moving forward.
These are simple examples of attitudes that, although not criminal, cause irritation and create in the Portuguese a perception of insecurity and chaos, which causes discomfort and generates feelings of adversity towards immigrants.
One of these days the police authorities will have to take a serious look at the chaos that is beginning to take hold in large cities and that will eventually become uncontrollable if nothing is done.
Now the issue of wearing the burka is topical. Should the burka be allowed to be worn in Portuguese society or not? Here it is worth going back to the origins of this practice when in Mesoptamia and ancient Persia the use of the burka was a symbol of distinction for women from higher classes. There is, therefore, class and gender segregation in the use of the burka.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban regime, which prohibited young teenagers from attending schools and women from working, also forced them to wear the burka.
In Western societies, the use of the burka has been restricted, because this use does not comply with the rules and habits practiced in the West. In Austria, the burka has been banned since 2017. In Denmark and the Netherlands, the burka and veils are banned in public spaces such as schools, hospitals and public transport.
Insertion into a society also means respecting and complying with the rules and values of that society. This respect and compliance help a lot in the process of insertion of immigrants.
I don’t believe, therefore, that it makes sense for there to be women with covered faces in Portugal, no matter what ethnicity they are. For now, it is a fact that there are not many women wearing burkas in Portugal. But we don’t know tomorrow. If the use of the burka is authorized in Portugal, we will expand the perception of insecurity that exists in our country. No, not wearing the burka. Women, whatever ethnicity you are, show your faces. Some are certainly beautiful. And, around here, it’s not customary to hide them.
Journalist
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